


Time

by 123456ja



Category: iKON (Korea Band)
Genre: Angst, Character Death, M/M, Parallels, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-18
Updated: 2018-12-18
Packaged: 2019-09-22 05:49:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17054330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/123456ja/pseuds/123456ja
Summary: Underneath his seat in the cinema was a phone vibrating. Picking it up, Junhoe was placed in the position to returning the lost phone. But trying to return it to Jiwon was more than just a stretch of time and drive to their meeting place.





	1. Cinema's

**Author's Note:**

> [ there might be some typos grammar lapses and inconsistencies, BEWARE ]
> 
> I'm being lazy so there are no italics text that'll say that it's their thoughts. I hope you'll not be confused.

.  
.  
.  
It was never like him to be found in crowded places. The malls, the subway stations, fast foods and even the cinemas were places he preferred not be included in his dictionary. But that day, Koo Junhoe, an acclaimed author who has hidden his identity to the public found himself at the last showing of a dark romance film. A film he has written.

"Damn Chanwoo..." Junhoe grumbled, making himself comfortable at the upper box. Even though there was enough space, he still felt suffocated by the excited hissing of the crowd. It was the second to the last show for the night and yet the cinema just kept on being flooded by watchers.

"Junhoe, this is a film adapted from your best selling novel! WATCH IT!" Junhoe cursed silently as he remembered the editor's never ending chanting of this sentence that he only stopped when Junhoe was already about to enter the cinema.

"I've watched it a million times Junhoe so enjoy yourself!" Said Chanwoo, his editor.

The entire place was flooded by darkness and everyone fell silent as the start of the box office hit appeared before their eyes. It was a story about love which cannot be returned no matter what. Despite the obvious tragedy, people still flocked the movie, because people, no matter how painful a love is, would always choose to feel the pain than not being inlove at all. And Junhoe just knew how to play with that.

When Junhoe opened his eyes, everyone was already out, the dim lighting illuminating the steps.

Yawning, Junhoe stretched his arms. "I fell asleep...?" He found it funny that despite people wiping tears as they walked to the exit, Junhoe just slept the entire movie. Perhaps because he already knew the outcome so he wasn't interested. Besides, he wrote the story anyway.

He waited until everyone was gone before he stood himself. And that was when he heard a sensation of something vibrating on the padded floor and a buzzing sound, where he was standing.

"Hmmm?" he looked down. And when he knelt on one knee, he noticed a phone vibrating under his seat. "Stupid... does this kind of thing still really happens?"

Reaching for the phone, the man hurriedly stood and went to the exit himself.

He pressed the answer key and listened to the other line. A sound of deep breathing as if the person on the other line just did a marathon was what he heard first.

"AHHH! Finally! Thank you someone answered!"

Junhoe was already walking towards the open-air parking lot where his car was. Because of the flood of people earlier with some who brought their cars, he was forced to park outside instead. At the lot, there were some people from afar still talking about how painful the movie was. The electronic board from a tall building showing a late night news could be seen from the lot as well.

"Hello?" the voice asked, sounding a bit troubled that the one who got the phone wasn't answering.

"Yes..I'm here."

"Oh... an older guy..." the voice commented far from the phone but Junhoe heard him anyway.

"Sorry for being older... damn this kid," Junhoe hissed.

"Ahh.. sir, could we meet up? I need my phone Sir... please?"

Junhoe leaned his back against the door of his car. The sky was still a little dry but as the autumn was about to come forth, there was a chilly feel to it.

"Not now, it's late. Tomorrow we can meet up."

"AHHH! Thank you so much! Ahm, Sir... I'm Kim Jiwon... I'm really sorry for the trouble. Me and my friends were in the city library earlier and I knew I left my phone in one of the shelves..."

"Huh? Library? What is this guy talking about?" Junhoe looked at the android phone before putting it back against his ear.

"No need to explain," Junhoe for no reason turned to look at his back. It was because most of the people in the parking lot were looking up the news at the electronic board.

"Uhmmmm... Sir?"

Without the audio, Junhoe and the rest of the people in the lot just relied on the huge red letters scrolling down at the bottom part of the electronic board.

"Kid, what is your name again?" Junhoe asked, his brow raised.

"Kim Jiwon, what about you Sir?"

Junhoe was alarmed. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Huh? Why?"

"Kim Jiwon!" another voice from a distance shouted from the other line. " Are you still going to take long? My Mother will kill me by her nagging!"

"Oh sorry! I'm just getting the name of the person who got my phone then I'm done, sorry for the trouble," the 'Jiwon' replied to the impatient voice of another male.

The older man looked up again at the electronic device with the silent news. The red bold letters underneath the newsachor said ;

"STUDENT; ROBBED, STABBED AND LEFT IN AN ALLEY TO DIE. KIM JIWON OF SEOUL UNIVERSITY'S FAMILY COULDN'T..."

Junhoe shook his head. There could be hundreds of Kim Jiwon for all he knew.

"Kid, You know the coffee shop near Seoul U? Meet me there at three. You message me what you'll be wearing. I'm the one who will approach you. Who knows, this phone might not be really yours..."

The cheerful and still young voice in the other line laughed. "I understand! Thanks... uh..."

"Junh-" He darted his eyes back at the ongoing news and changed his mind. "June."

"Eh? Please give me your real name Sir!"

"Are you in the position to demand such things? I am already being inconvenienced as it is..."

"I'm sorry. Thank you eh... June-shi... I'll message you then. I have to return the phone to my friend now!"

The older man was about to lower the phone from his ear when he heard a shout.

"June-shi?! June-shi?!"

"Tsk... yes?"

"Uhm... I'm really sorry for the trouble. But I'm really happy it's you who got the phone because I don't think many would go to the trouble returning it to me. Thank you...!"

 

===

 

Driving, Junhoe glanced at the phone sitting on the passenger seat. In all honesty he couldn't be bothered at all, but such was the heartfelt thanks the boy gave that Junhoe found himself actually looking forward to tomorrow.

As the tall buildings seemed to be just a blurr of sparkling tall cylinders, the face of the young teenager in the news earlier flashed in his eyes. The boy was so young and had a bright future ahead of him, but with the crazy turn of events, got his life shortened like that.

In the news, the smiling face of the teenager with such soft looking hair took most of the screen. His eyes looked like the eyes of some eager young man to explore the world. To die painfully and meaninglessly, what could be that boy thinking during his last breath?

"Huh... what do I care?"

 

===

 

That afternoon, Junhoe was surprised to found himself again at a place where there were so many young people. They were at the side of the streets, wearing all kinds of fashion from geeks to outrageous. Their voices were in the air, a sound of indistinc laughter and worries about all stuff young people encountered floating.

Junhoe decided to park his car at a nearby establishment. He was standing under a huge maple tree, facing the coffee shop he and the owner of the phone he picked up chose to meet.

*"I'm wearing a white hoody and darkblue jeans and uhh... please... look out for me,'' * Junhoe reread the text message and he almost found himself laughing alone on that spot. *"It bothers me a lot... but I am not that tall so you might not see me right away..."*  
*  
Looking at the entrance, Junhoe glanced at his wrist watch. It was 2:50. He was curious as to how the boy would look like but he didn't browse in the phone's memory because that would be invasion of privacy. But he was fine with that because he'll see the clumsy, kid who lost his phone in the movies thinking he misplaced it in the library in just a few minutes.

With one thought in mind, Junhoe who was just wearing a casual white shirt and denim jeans wore his dark sunglasses, eyeing each and every student who went out and entered the shop. "He must be one interesting kid."

The 2:50 became 3:10. And that 3:10 became 3:30. And as the seconds ticked by, the deeper the frown in Junhoe's forehead became.

Annoyed, the man looked at the phone and was about to call this Jiwon when the phone rang.

"Where are you?!" Junhoe hissed. "Do you know how long I have been waiting? Seriously I'm just gonna leave your phone here and go."

"W-wait!" the voice shouted. "I've been here about an hour earlier!"

"Huh?!" the author stepped away from his tree and started approaching the full of students coffee shop. "You said you're wearing a hoody? Where are you sitting?"

"Uhm... outside, at the fourth table..."

Calming himself, Junhoe eyed the front of the shop. Its brown motiff with its stainless tables outside somehow gave it a still upscale feel despite its cheap prices. The tables set outside were round, and counting, there were a total of seven.

"Fourth huh?" dark eyes fixed at the person on the fourth table, Junhoe stood before it and found himself stunned. He had never felt so stupid in his life to be played a prank on.

There on the fourth table was an old lady, about maybe in her 70's, reading a scholarly article. Totally uncaring about her being the oldest in the lot of youngsters laughing their brains out.

"Jiwon. Are you playing with me?"

"Huh? I'm not, June-sshi! My phone has some of my projects so I cannot afford to lose it! Besides it's not my hobby to do that!"

By the minute, the growing uneasiness in Junhoe's chest had already spread. He could hear the sincerity in that voice, but where the hell was he then?

Junhoe started pacing in front of the coffee shop. Some senior students were even thinking he was just a student in the graduate school, but paying them no mind, Junhoe realized one thing. He didn't do it because normally, unless you were waiting for an email or an important message, you'd never check on the time and date a message was sent.

So there, Junhoe looked at the messages Jiwon had sent him.

Stopping in front of the table where Jiwon said he was sitting, Junhoe looked at the old lady who was oblivious to his presence. "I don't believe this. These... these are coming from six days ago..."

"Jiwon... I-I forgot what today is... could you tell me?"

"Ha?" the young voice in the other line sounded a little caught-off guard by the sudden change of the topic but he answered anyway."Tuesday, July 28th..."

"Tuesday, 28? Are you sure?"

"Of course I am sure! It was Monday yesterday, and it will be Wednesday tomorrow! June-sshi... I'm sorry but could it be that you're having a hang-over or something?"

"Yeah... maybe..." *"It's Monday, August 4th, today..."*  "Jiwon, I'm sorry but I have an urgent meeting and have to go. We'll meet some other time."

"Huh? B-but..."

"I'll call you, so that you'd know I'm not running away with your phone."

"That's not what I mean..."

 

===

 

Without really thinking at all, Junhoe drove away from the university. Away from the people. Away from this strange thing going on. Maybe he was just talking to a kid with some mental problems most probably?

"Yeah... that's it. There's no other way right?" But the man found himself slamming on his breaks. In a quiet neighborhood, his car was attention catcher. People tried to look inside but it was heavy tinted. So no matter how nervous Junhoe was, no one could see.

Who wouldn't be nervous at that situation? It was creepy. And the images of that dead kid from a robbery wouldn't let go of its clutch in his mind.

"I maybe just really needing fresh air now, been stuck in my apartment for a long while."

He would look at the phone on the passenger seat and at the front every once in a while. And then, not being able to control himself, screw privacy, he pulled his own phone out and pulled the news last night.

"Kim Jiwon... 21, after watching the box office hit written by South Korea's pride Koo Junhoe, was robbed and killed on his way home..."

He didn't want to believe it but he didn't have much choice but to do it. He pressed on the gallery of the phone he found back in the cinemas.

"This is just exactly like a toddler's phone..." Junhoe whispered as pictures of some anime characters appeared one after another. One Piece, a popular manga even he have heard about dominated the gallery. And when he finally got to see a picture of real humans in it, Junhoe lost all his strenght.

An older man, darkhaired was holding out a cake to this brown head, brown eyed boy happily grinning. The cake said 'Happy 21st birthday Jiwon'. With Junhoe's shaking thumb, he zoomed in the picture. And the picture of the Kim Jiwon who died last night, and the picture of the owner of the phone he picked up and just talked a while ago, looked exactly the same.

His heart pounding so hard, the kind that he had never had for such a long time went on. "I'm talking to this Kim Jiwon, six days ago... before he died? What the hell..."

Some birds started taking their rest on the front side of Junhoe's car. Normally he'd have blasted the car horns to shoo them away. But he just looked at them peck at his car. He just looked at them flap their small wings and happily take their rests from flying.

"Why am I in this situation?" Junhoe asked the windshield. "Should I tell him that he's, after six days... SHIT!!"  
There was no feeling at all other than human concern.

For he wasn't attatched. Yet.

 

===

 

"I never expected to see you here, Junhoe..." Chanwoo commented as he was browsing things in the library of his office. "And to think that you're asking me about Time travels and time crossings..."

Koo Junhoe, who had his eyes running at the volumes of books in the shelves shrugged his shoulders. "I told you it's for a novel."

"Hmm..."

Jung Chanwoo was a long time friend of Koo Junhoe. There had been some issues that happened between them, but they were long buried in the past. This time, they were just close buddies and nothing more. Aside from that, this hot-headed Chanwoo was a wide reader. Being a literature professor required him to do so, but reading was a passion of his too. And if Junhoe needed someone to ask about the most unbelievable things in the world without laughing, that would be this man.

"Ah... found it."

 

===

 

That night, as Junhoe was driving back to his flat, he had Jiwon's phone in speaker. Talking to this voice that in reality wasn't existing anymore was already weird, but liking the timber of the voice as it called him 'June-sshi, June-sshi' was even stranger.

"I'm sorry...I was selfish June-sshi. Well, as long as the phone be returned to me, I'm fine. Let it be to your schedule."

"Sorry... there's just something that came up... anyway..." Junhoe drew deep breath. "You're at home now?"

That was a question even Junhoe felt like not appropriate to ask. But he couldn't help it. Who could tell in the world that Jiwon's time was the past? What if Junhoe was in the past and Jiwon was the future? Who could really tell? The only sure thing was this present where there times crossed paths.

"Ah yes, I need to go home early because I am the one cooking for me and my brother."

"That's kind of surprising..."

This situation that started as weird, became as if it was just natural. And Junhoe, at the corners of his mind, wished that this time crossings, time parallels, and paradoxes were nothing but just a silly joke. But his friend Chanwoo said time issues never ever has been a joke.

Junhoe had lied despite not wanting to. He lied that the reason he wanted to know about extreme possibilities aside from time travel was because he was starting another novel with this theme. Chanwoo asked no more questions and just helped.

"You see Junhoe, there are many theories about time, but many aren't still proven and just can't be done," Junhoe remembered his friend had said earlier, pointing his finger at a line in one paragraph.

"Imagine parallel lines, laid one after another, over and under, just lines that go beyond distance. They represent the jumbled mess of every person's time or to be clear, life span or records of one's life..."

"In the story you are planning to write... B dies in A's time. But B suddenly started communicating to A with a six day gap from the present. You mentioned in your story, B said he left his phone in the library but A found his phone at a different place. The possibility then is this..."

" While B was calling his phone in his time, a certain disturbance happened in the balance of the parallel lines and somehow went out of its place. Crossing to A's time instead. So the call instead of going to the phone he left in the library was routed to the phone left in the theaters, unknowingly to his future."

"Huh? I don't get it..."

Chanwoo laughed, "Well time is never an easy thing! Anyway, you sure are writing a clumsy character, because if this is the case, it means that B left his phone twice. In the library six days ago, and in the cinemas before he got killed. Clearer?"

"I think... I do and don't," Junhoe ruffled his hair, his brows meeting in a deep furrow. "Setting those stuff aside... can A stop B from getting killed?"

Chanwoo whistled and crossed his arms. "Oh... planning on coming up with a next tearjerker like your novel that got a movie huh? I almost forgot you write mostly about romance..."

"Shut up."

Chanwoo sat at the edge of the table and sighed. "Well... if you altered the past, it's all possible right? But, simply put, Junhoe... two threads, a shorter one and a longer one, lined with each other... the shorter string somehow got blown by the wind and its lower part crossed with the longer thread. They meet at that point right? Then it got blown again and went back to normal. Whatever happened, the shorter thread didn't increase in lenght. So I think, just my own theory, A couldn't save B."

Out of all the mind boggling things Chanwoo had said, there was one that Junhoe believed. "'A' can always try."


	2. D-Day

The third day of talking in the phone with a person who no longer existed in his time continued. And each minute, time, and conversation, was becoming not just a 'want' for Junhoe. But also a need.

"Right now I am in the groceries, checking tofus..."

Junhoe was standing before the tofu part of the grocery store. His hand in his phone, he picked one pack of tofu and looked at it. Somehow, just a bit, there was this illusion that both of them were doing Jiwon's shopping.

"Ah, you know June-sshi if you went to the groceries, you should check the side of the tofu stand..."

The man moved to the side and eyed at white surface. "Why?"

"Because my friend stuck gum in the little holes. If you looked at it closely you'd see them. Seriously, he's got no manners."

Junhoe smiled faintly. There was indeed some fading pinkish stuff at the small holes of the stand. Maybe he was already being too caught up with this, that he could already see a brunet, standing beside him and pointing at the stand.

They were both talking at the same time, both in the same place, but their bodies were at different spaces. There was this stinging sensation in Junhoe's chest while hearing the other line produce sounds of a boy muttering about prices and decayed vegetables.

"June-sshi?"

"Ah... yeah?"

"What's wrong? You suddenly got silent? Aren't you still going back to the meeting?"

"It's okay... I can do as I please. So... where are you going now?"

"Home... I'm going to walk since it's just near our house."  
Junhoe walked with his other hand inside his pocket. Walking the same sidewalk Jiwon was walking on. Seeing the same things Jiwon had seen.

"You're walking near a park, no?" Junhoe asked.

"Huh?! How'd you know!?"

Stopping on his tracks, Junhoe looked at the deserted playground. Only leaves that had fallen occupied the ground.

"Because I could hear the sounds of a swing and kids laughing."

"Ah...! Yeah... there are a lot of kids playing now..."

After a few more silent walkings, Junhoe heard the sounds of gates being opened, knobs being turned, and a lively 'I'm home' came from Jiwon.

"June-sshi, I'll have to charge this old phone so I'll just call later!"

"Sure..."

"Uhm... June-sshi if you have... if you have a problem... you can you know tell me, right?"

"What made you think that I am problematic?" Junhoe asked as he was looking at a lonesome house which looked like no one was in it.

"Your voice sounds like... you're sad. Sorry, after all this talking with you... I felt like we've known each other for so long already! Sorry for being so familiar..."

Smiling, Junhoe ran his hand on the name plate of the house. It had a huge 'Kim' on it on the right side.

"No it's okay. Something is just bothering me. But don't worry."

"O-okay. Cheer up! Cheer up June-sshi!"

At the beeping sound of the line being cut off, a lady approached Junhoe. "Are you here for that nice boy?"

"Hmmmmm..."

"Sorry... Jiwon's brother is not here because of what happened," she wiped tears at the corner of her eyes and patted Junhoe on the man's arm. "Many people love that kid, I'm sure he'll be in a good place."

Somehow there was this irritation. An irritation Junhoe couldn't understand where it was coming from. Hearing Jiwon be talked about as a being of the past, was something he couldn't still accept. Why, he was just talking to him awhile ago, right?

 

===

 

If years could fly by in an instant, what more about the days in it? The fifth day, Junhoe was near panicking of what to do. Should he tell him? Should he warn him? Say he did that? Where would Jiwon be? Will that alter the present where Junhoe was?

"Jiwon, sorry, my meeting here in the countryside is taking really long..." he lied. Because even though he was standing at the very same spot before the pedestrian lane where Jiwon was, they wouldn't cross paths.

"It's okay. I enjoy talking to you June-sshi."

"Okay."

"June-sshi?"

Junhoe looked down at his feet, "Jiwon, you have plans tomorrow, right?"

The sound from the other line changed from calm to excited. From the sound of Jiwon's voice, he was clearly ecstatic about for tomorrow. For tomorrow in his time when he died.

"YEAH! Me and some of my friends will be watching this famous movie!" Junhoe flinched. "I've been looking forward to it because I was chosen by the author himself to get free tickets in a raffle!"

"HA?"

"You know, fans answer a certain question from the book. I joined and got picked and the author Koo Junhoe selected five names. Mine is included! If I didn't win the draw, I wouldn't come at all because my allowance is in a tight budget right now, hehehe... I'm broke."

Junhoe just lost his grip of time, and everything else. Come to think of it, Chanwoo was blabbering for him to pick five names, and without even reading them out, Junhoe just put a check on whoever name his pen would land.

"Jiwon... why don't you discard the ticket? Don't go..."

"Huh? Why?"

"Nothing, just... soon it will get a DVD version of it, so why go to a line and be in with all those people?" Junhoe didn't even notice his hand getting sweaty as he held the phone against his ear. "Besides, it's dangerous at night."

The boy chuckled. "That's not possible June-sshi! I am not into reading but I find myself reading his works only. And he chose my name for the tickets so I don't want it to be wasted..."

Junhoe decided to put his last card up on the board.

"I'm going to wait for you tomorrow at the front of the mall. I'll return your phone," a truth and a lie.

True he would be there, lie because they'd not meet at all if time wouldn't be changed. If he could make the boy not watch the movie and change his route of going home, then he'd lie no matter how many times he had to.

If he just told Jiwon to stay put in their house because he'd be robbed and killed, would that even be believable? The boy would just laugh it off.

"So don't ever go into the cinema without me. We'll watch together."

"Ha?" the boy sounded like he had choked on something. "R-really?"

"Yes. So wait for me. Okay? Promise?"

The traffics lights had already turned from red to green a couple of times, left alone before the white parallel lines, silently shaking.

"Promise me, Jiwon?"

"Aaah... Okay..."

The call ended, with Junhoe hiding his face with one hand, his other hand on his side holding the phone tightly. "You're not dying. We'll change your future..."

 

===

 

Junhoe had been standing before the mall since early morning. And now that the sun had already set a long time ago, with the people from the work force rushing to catch the movie he wrote, Junhoe was still as tense as he first set foot on the place.

He rested his stiff back against the small lamp post behind him and sighed. The rush of people going in and out, oblivious to this stupid time game made Junhoe seething in annoyance and anger.

And to top it all off, Jiwon had been sending messages to which Junhoe didn't reply once.

"Where are you June-sshi?" the text read. "I'm standing at the front of the entrance and to my right is a fountain and uhm... there is a lamp post behind me..."

Junhoe smiled. A sad smile as he watched the view before him. "I'm standing behind you..."

"The movieis about to start..." another text came.

But Junhoe just remained standing there, seeing an imaginary boy waiting before him.

 

===

 

Junhoe forced himself not to reply or answer the calls Jiwon was giving him. Until the people had gone out of the mall, until the movie has ended, and until the next showing was already in its half. When he was sure there was no way for Jiwon to catch on the movie anymore, that was when Junhoe finally answered to call.

"Are you alright?! Did something happen?! Why aren't you answering!?" the voice shouting in the other line hurt Junhoe's ears. But he was enjoying every bit of it. Jiwon was that worried? Junhoe as twisted as it was, it made him happy, for he wasn't just the one who was worrying.

"I'm sorry... I was caught in a last meeting" Junhoe lied.

"The movie has ended..." the boy mumbled, the disappointment really obvious.

Junhoe felt bad for being the reason of that sudden sadness for Jiwon. But if that one major event before Jiwon died was changed, Junhoe could only expect that there would also be a change of the outcomes of the night.

"You didn't watch it?"

"How can I? I promised you I'd wait for you right?!"

Just for teasing, because Junhoe was already feeling relieved, the man chuckled. "Why did you do that? I wasn't expecting you'd really-"

Junhoe's smile and good feeling vanished. The sounds of screaming at the other line were so shrilly it almost sliced through his brains. "Watch out! Watch out! The boy!"

A screeching sound came closer. Closer, faster, more vivid.

"Yaj, what's going on!?" Junhoe shouted, catching the attention of the others near him.

Junhoe had to pull the phone away from his ears at the painful sound of metal slamming to metal. Broken glasses, shards of them falling on the pavement, their sounds were so clear, etching everything in Junhoe's mind.

"Hey! The car! The car hit someone! Call 119! Someone! SOMEONE'S BEEN HIT BY A CAR!"

Eyes unfocused, Junhoe lost the feel of his legs and he fell on one knee. Afraid to even start asking.

"Yah... Jiwon? What's going on there?" he asked, carefully, so softly.

"What the hell were you doing you drunk driver! You hit the boy! He was just standing there! Damn you!" a voice of an angry man shrieked. Other murmurings reached Junhoe's pounding ears. The sound of an incoming ambulance nearing.

"Hey... he's awake... he's trying to talk to the phone..."

"Jiwon...?" Junhoe called once more.

"Don't touch him! Let the medics take care of him!"

'"Ji-jiwon...?"

Out of all the many sounds filling his ear, there was one voice louder than everyone else. A breath so deep, a breath so peaceful, started replacing the mess of sounds into a chime.

"June-sshi... I don't feel anything in my body..."

Junhoe clapped his hand to his mouth.

"Jiwon..." Junhoe breathed out, feeling this very painful sensation in his throat. A pain shouting or any crying wouldn't be able to lift.

"June-sshi... you're a psychic, aren't you?"

Junhoe wanted to laugh. But instead, tears stained his cheeks.

"You knew something bad will happen if I watch the movie so you stopped me, but...I guess it's just really my time?"

"I... I..." Junhoe wanted to talk more. But he was just numb all over.

"Hey the medics, give them way!" a voice of an old man shouted.

"June-sshi... this situation makes me entitled to say something weird right?"

"Stupid..."

There was a long pause that made Junhoe's heart almost stop.

"I think... I like you..."

"Jiwon..."

The many people walking by, going home late from their late night outings or overtimes in their jobs looked at Junhoe with curious eyes. As the man just clutched Jiwon's phone in his hand, closer to his lips. His shoulders trembling in that night. His entire form enveloped with sorrow.

He failed. Whatever he did, he failed.

"Jiwon...?"

"I'm glad... to have met you"

"I'm sorry..."

"Why?"

"I'm sorry... I really am..."

 

===

 

He was there on the ground, kneeling, almost hugging himself, whispering something in the phone only he could hear.

"I am sorry," Junhoe whispered hoarsely. He whispered the words over and over to his hand that was holding Jiwon's phone a while ago. In an instant, the phone disappeared in his hand. Leaving him empty handed, heart and soul.

"Sir..." a concerned voice called. "Sir, this place is still off limits..."

Junhoe looked up at the voice. It was coming from a police officer. Junhoe had the urge to look behind him. And what he saw just crushed him. The lamp post earlier where he was just resting his back was almost in a C-shape. Spots of crude and reddish drops were on the ground.

"Sir... an accident happened here last week," the officer was waiving a rolled peace of paper in the air as he was looking at Junhoe. " please stay away from the area..."

Not caring how he looked liked, Junhoe stood and grabbed the newspaper. Unrolling it, he read the bold letters.

"Sir... that's an old newspaper."

Eyes unfocused, he read; "DRUNK DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF HIS CAR AND HIT AN INNOCENT BY STANDER. THE VICTIM, KIM JIWON WAS ANNOUNCED DEAD ON ARRIVAL AT THE HOSPITAL..."

Junhoe walked away, leaving the officer dumbfounded.

"In the end, it's still the same..." Junhoe raised his hand to his eyes gritting his teeth.

The wind blew hard, sending the surrounding trees around him and its leaves make a mysterious sound. He was furious and sad beyond description but there was one thing Junhoe got from getting into this cruel time game.

No matter how much painful it was, having opened his heart like that, having him worrying about other's welfare, all these changes was all because of one person, Kim Jiwon.

Having time count our distance is just an illusion...," Junhoe whispered, sealing the emotion that bloomed in his barren heart within just days no amount of time would be able to change."Whether you're not around anymore...you're still here..."

 

-end-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't intend to, but it seems that in almost all of my stories with Jiwon on it, he ends up dying :( its not intentional okay? I love him, same goes with the other iKON members. And besides, this is just a fiction, ALTERNATE UNIVERSE, this is not true! Please don't hate me.
> 
>  
> 
> And, thanks for reading my story.


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